The Time Passes
by EchoResonance
Summary: It passes so much slower, for he who does not have to wait as she does.


Zelda, I can't stand being alone.

Ever since we were little kids, you have always been there for me. No matter what, you were always there whenever I needed you. When Groose and his cronies were harassing me, I didn't have time to say a word before you were there defending me. Sometimes, I'll admit that it got a little annoying, but I always appreciated you. I don't know what to do when you aren't here.

It was one thing when I didn't even know for sure where you were. Then I thought, if I ran fast enough and battled enough foes, that I could catch up to you. Find you. Then I wouldn't be alone anymore. But then I really did find you. And Impa let me speak with you, something she had never, ever done before. You told me who we really were; the Goddess Hylia's chosen hero, and the mortal incarnation of the actual Goddess herself.

Then you put yourself to sleep. For thousands of years. Goddess, Zelda, I know that I don't have to wait that full thousand years, but it still hurts. Every day that I know that you're encased in that amber crystal, asleep, is a day that you're not awake, because you're waiting for me to destroy that creature. The Imprisoned.

Zelda, do you remember the day we met? I do. How could I forget? You helped me, sopping wet, out of the lake after the Crimson Loftwing rolled me in. I couldn't speak right, when I saw you. You were so beautiful, it was unbelievable. I remember thinking that any Goddess would be lucky to look anything like you. Even when you were young, I knew that you would grow into a beautiful woman.

And you did. Slowly, but surely, you grew into your looks. You were still that tomboy who hauled me out of the water. You would always be that tomboy, to me. You still looked after me like I was your little brother, even though I was a year older than you. When I entered the Knight Academy, I remember how excited you were. My parents were gone, and you and your father became my new family.

At the Academy, I got along with most of the students just fine. Karane and Pipit were my good friends. Fledge was pretty cool, albeit a bit socially awkward. Groose, Strich, and Cawlin were still after me like Mia went after Blessed Butterflies.

After years at the Academy, learning history and flying, it was almost time for the Loftwing Ceremony. The race, where all of the students aiming for Knighthood would fly their Loftwings after one specific bird, carrying a small idol. Whoever caught the idol would progress to the next level in their training. I had been slacking off a little in my training, and I know that you noticed.

So, the day of the test, you made your Loftwing wake me up at the crack of dawn—thanks again, by the way—and had me meet you at the statue of the Goddess for some extra practice. I couldn't sense my Loftwing anywhere nearby, but you didn't believe me. You thought I was just trying to wriggle my way out of the practice, and you pushed me off of the platform. I don't blame you; that was pretty much how I was. But, you realized in time that I was telling the truth, and you called your own Loftwing and caught me.

That was when we began our first real adventure, searching for any clue as to where my bird could possibly be. I found Groose and his lackies in the plaza, laughing about something. I overheard them talking about me, and my Loftwing. I confronted them, and Groose pulled his "big and bad" card, trying to intimidate me. And you appeared out of nowhere, telling him off.

I had to convince Eagus to let me borrow a practice sword after that so that I could go to the Waterfall Cave. I could sense my Loftwing somewhere inside. You were flying around the island while I fought Keese and about a hundred Chuchu. I reached the end of the cave, and found my bird boarded up in an enclave in the stone wall. We just barely made it to the test on time. Even during the test, Groose did his level best to mess me up. But even with his problem-causing issues, I caught the tiny statue.

You know what happened next. You were playing the Goddess that year for the ceremony. We met on top of the Goddess Statue, where you presented me with the Sailcloth that would later save my life thousands of times. You were wearing a beautiful gown, and new ribbons in your hair. I think that was when I realized how much you had changed, and when I realized that my feelings for you had as well. When you came toward me, you were so close, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss you. I hoped you would kiss me. But you didn't. Instead, you pushed me off the statue, down to the small stone circle below.

We went for a flight after that, each of us riding our own Loftwings. For a while, we made meaningless chatter. But then, you got quiet. The next time you spoke, you sounded so serious, and so nervous, it instantly scared me a little. You said there was something you had been wanting to say for a while.

Before you could say it, that tornado that Ghirahim conjured tore us apart. It threw you from you Loftwing. I reached for you. I tried to save you. But I could almost touch your fingers when I was thrown as well. I woke up in my own room. You didn't. You had fallen beneath the clouds, to a land we had only ever heard about in stories. You fell straight to the Surface, a place where I would shortly follow.

In the middle of the night, a spirit woke me from my sleep. It looked like a woman in a blue and white dress, and fishnet stockings. She led me all around the island, ending at the Goddess Statue. An opening appeared at the base of the statue. The Goddess Sword was inside the statue. The spirit introduced herself as Fi, the spirit of the sword. She guided me, helped me along, sometimes to the point of being extremely irritating. I never thought I would bond with her the way I have. But I have bonded with her, and I think she's grown to like me, and it's all for you.

We've fought sword and shield to find you, rescue you, protect you. I swear, Zelda, no matter what, I'll do it. I'll do whatever it is you need.

I don't care what I have to do; I will wake you up. I need you. I need my best friend. I need that tomboy from when I was little. My best friend that has always had my back and always been there for me. The one who wasn't a Goddess. Who didn't have the weight of the world on her shoulders. The one who pushed me off of statues and islands. Who woke me up way too early in the morning. The one I fought my way through countless demons for.

Do you have any idea how hard it was, for me to be so close to saving you, and to have you slip through my fingers? Any idea, at all, of how it was for that to happen time after time? I can't help but wonder if Impa might be right. I failed you so many times; failed to help you, protect you, like I was supposed to. Was Impa right? Did the Goddess Hylia make a mistake when she chose me? I don't think I should be the chosen Hero. I have messed up too many times. I was always too late.

Zelda, I'm sorry for every instance that I failed you. When I was slacking off in my flight training. When I kept getting into trouble with other students. When I let a tornado rip you away. Every time I let you slide from my grasp, I'm so sorry. I'm not worthy to have a friend as wonderful as you, but I'm glad that you don't care.

I miss you, Zelda. Knowing where you are, and not being able to talk to you…it's like slow torture. I miss your hugs, your jokes. I miss holding you in my arms when something upset you. In all the years we've known each other, you've shown me a side to you that nobody else has ever seen.

I wonder…can you see me? I know you're asleep, but is it possible that some part of you can see me? Sometimes, I would swear I can feel you near me. When the presence of the others is too much, sometimes I'll go back to our place behind the Goddess Statue. There, I sit, and I can't hold back the tears. But I feel as though you're there watching me. And while I search for clues to find the Triforce, I fell like you are there with me, silently urging me on. Maybe it's just my imagination. Maybe you are not really with me, and I am just fooling myself. Whatever it is, it makes me feel better.

But I swear to you, Zelda. I will find you. I will wake you up. Whatever it takes t permanently get rid of the Imprisoned, Demise, I will do. I have to.

You have to wake up. I need to see your beautiful face again. I need to hear your amazing laugh. I need to feel you in my arms once more. It breaks my heart a little more every day you're away from me. And when at last I can bring you out of your thousand-year sleep, there's something I have to tell you. Something I have to say. I didn't realize it until the day of the Wing Ceremony, when you pretended to kiss me. But it was then that I realized I wanted you to kiss me. I wanted to cover that distance.

I love you Zelda. I don't know when that happened, but I know that somehow it did. When you wake up, I'll tell you, and I can only hope that you'll feel the same way, because you're the only one for me.


End file.
